QUANTIFIERS

Quantifiers are words that

are used to state quantity
or amount of something
without stating the exact
number.
 Quantifiers answer the
questions "How many?" and
"How much?"
We use quantifiers with
plural countable nouns and
uncountable nouns.
Quantifiers must agree with the noun.
There are 3 main types of quantifiers.
Quantifiers that are used with
countable nouns, quantifiers that are
used with uncountable nouns. and the
3rd type are quantifiers that are used
with either countable nouns or
uncountable nouns.
 Countable Nouns
many I don't have many
apples.
few* We know few
people in the area.
I would like to get to know
more.
a few** We know a few people in
the area. I know enough
people to keep me happy.
 Uncountable Nouns
Much I don't have much
money.
little* I know little English.
I am going to have a
problem getting around
England.
a little** I know a little English, at
least enough to get to
England.
*few/little - means that is not
enough of something.

** a few /a little - means that

there are not a lot of
something, but there is
enough.
 Few and little describe the
quantity in a negative way:
Few people visited him in
hospital
(= he had almost no visitors)
He had little money
(= almost no money)
 A few (for countable nouns) and a
little (for uncountable nouns)
describe the quantity in a positive
way:

"I've got a few friends" (= maybe not

many, but enough)

"I've got a little money" (= I've got

enough to live on)
 With Countable and Uncountable
Nouns
Enough I have enough money.
We have enough cookies.
Plenty I have plenty of money.
We have plenty of cookies
A lot of I have a lot of money.
We have a lot of cookies.
Lots of I have lots of money.
We have lots of cookies.
Some I have some money.
We have some cookies.
Any I don’t have any money.
Enough is placed before the noun, to
indicate the quantity required or
necessary:
“There is enough bread for lunch.”

“We didn't have enough time to visit

London Bridge.”
“Is there enough milk for breakfast?”
“She has enough talent to become an
international singing star.”
 Graded Quantifiers

They are like comparatives and hold a

relative position on a scale of increase or
decrease.
INCREASE (0% to 100%)
With plural countable nouns
many more most
With uncountable nouns
much more most
· There are many people in
Uruguay, more in Brazil, but the
most people live in China.

Much time and money is spent on

education, more on health services
but the most is spent on national
defense.
DECREASE (100% to 0%)
With plural countable nouns

few fewer fewest

With uncountable nouns

little less least

· Few rivers in the world aren’t polluted.

Fewer people die young now than in the nineteenth

century.

The country with the fewest people per square kilometer

must be Australia.

Scientists have little hope of finding a complete cure

for cancer before 2020.

She had less time to study than I did but had better
results.

Give that dog the least opportunity and it will bite you.
 None/no
None is the pronoun form
of no. None means ‘not one’ or ‘not any’. We
use it as a pronoun to replace countable and
uncountable nouns. We use it as subject or
object:
• My mother had two brothers. My father
had none. (My father didn’t have any
brothers.)
• We use "no" with singular count
nouns, plural countable nouns, and
uncountable nouns to say that
something does not exist or is not
present.
• There was no chair for me to sit on.
• They had no immediate plans to
change house.
• No money was available for the
operation.
Note that if there is another word
in the clause that makes it
negative, you use "any", not "no".
• It hasn't made any difference.
• He will never do any work for me
again.
Some and any
 When to use
some and any?
Some and any are used to state
the quantity, amount of
something. When using some
or any the exact number is not
stated.
Some and any can be used when:

The exact number is not known.

The exact number is not important
or relevant.
Some and any are used with
countable nouns and uncountable
nouns
 Any
Any is used with:
Negative sentences
When asking a question.
Any is used when a sentence is grammatically
positive, but the meaning of the sentence is
negative.
Do you have any ice cream left?
I don't have any money today. I am getting paid on
Friday.
My brother never does any thing good.
 Some
Some is used with:
Positive sentences. When asking a
question, if the answer is expected to be
positive or not relevant or you are offering
something.
The children have some free time.
Please buy some bananas.
Can I have a glass of tea?
Would you like some cake?
Compound nouns with some-
and any- are used in the same
way as some and any.
Positive statements:
“Someone is sleeping in my bed.”

“He saw something in the garden.”

“I left my glasses somewhere in the house.”

 Questions:
“Are you looking for someone?” (= I'm
sure you are)
“Have you lost something?” (= I'm sure
you have)
“Is there anything to eat?” (a real
question)
“Did you go anywhere last night?”
 Negative statements:
“She didn't go anywhere last night.”

“He doesn't know anybody here.”

There is a difference in emphasis
between nothing, nobody etc.
and not ... anything, not ...
anybody:

“I don't know anything about it.” (=

neutral, no emphasis)

“I know nothing about it.” (= more

emphatic, maybe defensive)
“ Is there anybody who speaks English
here?”
“There is nobody in the house at the
moment.”
“Does anybody have the time?”
“When I arrived there was nobody to
meet me.”
ANY can also be used in positive
statements to mean 'no matter
which', 'no matter who', 'no
matter what':

“You can borrow any of my books.”

“They can choose anything from the menu.”
“You may invite anybody to dinner, I don't mind
who comes.”
Fill in the gaps with one of the
following determiners: Some, Any

1) Ann has _________candies.

2) Bill doesn't have _________money.
3) Sue will give us _________information.
4) There is _____________ milk in the
fridge.
5) There isn't ________________beer.
much, many, lots of, a lot of, little,
most, a little, little, a few, few
1. It seems to me that we've had __________assignments
in English this term.
2. How _____________material can we be expected to
read in one week?
3. ______________books are not in the library.
4. I've had ____________headaches already because of
stress.
5. _______________depression can be attributed to being
overworked.